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DENVER – Saying they stood at a historic crossroads, Barack Obama challenged Americans Thursday night to join him in transforming their nation, to restore its greatness and reclaim its leadership in the world.

"America, we are better than these last eight years. We are a better country than this," the first African-American ever picked as a major party's presidential nominee said on the 45th anniversary of Martin Luther King's historic "I have a dream" speech.

On Thursday night at a gathering that was, at once, a partisan extravaganza, a massive pep rally and — at times — seemed like the beginnings of a crusade, Mr. Obama said: "We meet at one of those defining moments, a moment when our nation is at war, our economy is in turmoil, and the American promise has been threatened once more."

Televised nationwide to an audience numbering in the millions, Mr. Obama's 43-minute acceptance speech launched the final, 10-week, campaign battle in his improbable run for the White House.

His words were aimed far beyond the rapturous, receptive crowd of Democrats in Denver. He vowed to rebuild America's tarnished world image.

"I will restore our moral standing so that America is once more the last, best hope for all who are called to the cause of freedom, who long for lives of peace, and who yearn for a better future," he said. With soaring rhetoric before a tumultuous throng of nearly 80,000 jammed into the massive football stadium, Mr. Obama capped the four-day Democratic convention by challenging Americans to embrace bold, transformative politics.

He pledged to pour money into alternative energy and vowed to wean — within 10 years — the United States from its dependence on Middle East oil, a goal most energy analysts regard as a pipedream.

Domestically, Mr. Obama said his tax code would put more money in the pockets of working-class families instead of the rich.

But facing a Republican rival with unmatched military credentials and a compelling story as a tortured prisoner of war, Mr. Obama made clear that he was ready to lead the country in war. While he repeated his promise to "end this war in Iraq," he also vowed to "fight against al-Qaeda and the Taliban in Afghanistan." He also laid claim to the long legacy of warrior Democratic presidents, challenging the Republican criticism that he, and the party, would fail to safeguard Americans.

"We are the party of Roosevelt. We are the party of Kennedy. So don't tell me that Democrats won't defend this country. Don't tell me that Democrats won't keep us safe," he said.

He also defended his fitness to lead. "As commander-in-chief, I will never hesitate to defend this nation, but I will only send our troops into harm's way with a clear mission," he said.

The sun-baked throng, many who waited for hours in queues that stretched back several kilometres, found new energy as a cooling evening fell over the mile-high stadium of Invesco Field. Taking the last night of their four-day convention to an outside stadium more than four times larger than the downtown arena used on the previous three nights represented a bold challenge and launched the final sprint to Nov. 4, when Americans will choose between putting another Republican back in the White House or opting for the relative inexperience of Mr. Obama and his sometimes vague promises of change.

Even John McCain, who is expected to name his running mate Friday and try to blunt the Democrats' momentum with the hoopla of his own Republican convention in Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minn., next week conceded Mr. Obama had achieved a moment in history.

"Senator Obama, this is truly a good day for America," Mr. McCain said in a television ad. "Too often the achievements of our opponents go unnoticed. So I wanted to stop and say, congratulations. How perfect that your nomination would come on this historic day. Tomorrow, we'll be back at it. But tonight, senator, job well done."

Mr. Obama also paid tribute to his rival. "John McCain has worn the uniform of our country with bravery and distinction, and for that we owe him our gratitude and respect." But he also said Mr. McCain was wrongheaded in his focus on Iraq, not Afghanistan. "John McCain likes to say that he'll follow bin Laden to the Gates of Hell — but he won't even follow him to the cave where he lives," Mr. Obama said.

He also hammered home the Democrats' key theme, that Americans deserve better than more of the same.

"This moment — this election — is our chance to keep, in the 21st century, the American promise alive," Mr. Obama said. "Because next week, in Minnesota, the same party that brought you two terms of George Bush and Dick Cheney will ask this country for a third. And we are here because we love this country too much to let the next four years look just like the last eight."